ABSD’s 30-Day Survey Enables Earlier Generation at the Country’s Largest Solar
- Clinton Bravo
- 16 hours ago
- 7 min read
When utility-scale solar projects hinge on financing milestones, right-of-way decisions, and fast EPC mobilization, the earliest—and most underestimated—schedule risk is the quality and speed of the topographic survey. If the data arrives late or is unreliable, design teams stall, permits slip, and procurement can’t lock quantities with confidence. AB Surveying & Development (ABSD) removed that risk by completing a defensible, survey-grade LiDAR survey covering 7,932.70 hectares for a planned 3,500 MW solar development. We flew a manned aircraft to capture the entire area in a couple of flight days and delivered a design-ready package in more or less 30 calendar days. This was not simply about being fast; it was about being fast with proof—clear quality checks, transparent progress updates, and client-requested ground validation—so the developer could advance to design freeze and permitting with confidence, not contingency padding.
Why This Was an “Above & Beyond” Moment
This project reflects ABSD’s Above & Beyond standard in four specific ways. First, we matched the method to the mission. A site of nearly eight thousand hectares demands high throughput; instead of stitching together many days of small-drone sorties, we used a manned aircraft equipped with survey-grade LiDAR to cover the full footprint in a tightly planned window. That decision alone compressed what might take weeks into days while maintaining the accuracy designers require. Second, we scoped the whole decision space, not just the fenced area. In our initial consultations, we advised the client to include surrounding drainage catchments and likely access and corridor paths, eliminating the need for a second mobilization later when those questions inevitably surface. The result was a single, coordinated mobilization that saved both time and per-hectare cost, and gave engineers the broader context they need for drainage and logistics from day one. Third, we focused on enablement, not dependency. Beyond delivering files, we walked the client’s team through the dataset so they could explore, clip, and export on demand. This simple step prevents “small request” bottlenecks that can quietly add weeks to a schedule. Fourth, we welcomed ground validation with the client after delivery. The checks matched our surfaces and contours, rebuilding trust for a client that had previously experienced missed deadlines and misaligned datasets from other vendors. Together, these choices turned speed into credibility.
How We Delivered at Speed (Without Cutting Corners)
ABSD approached the job as a throughput challenge: capture everything needed in one tight window, then keep processing flowing without interruptions. The manned-aircraft platform enabled consistent altitude, longer lines, and stable coverage that are difficult to achieve at this scale with small UAVs. Because the entire site was captured in a unified plan, the downstream processing benefited from consistent overlap and coverage, which reduces post-processing surprises and edge effects. We also planned for what could go wrong. Temporary airspace restrictions and utility interruptions at the processing site were addressed, so neither issue became a schedule slip. Throughout the engagement, we shared transparent progress updates including quick previews of flight paths and point-cloud flythroughs—so the developer always understood where the work stood and what was coming next. In short, we protected the schedule not by cutting corners, but by designing out the common failure modes that typically cause rework and delays.
Risk Management and Contingencies
Two unplanned constraints—military exercises that temporarily closed the flight corridor and power interruptions at the processing site could have pushed delivery beyond Day 30. ABSD’s contingency planning prevented that outcome. The airspace slotting plan preserved the acquisition window without losing a week to rescheduling, and the redundant compute nodes maintained classification and tiling throughput when the primary site experienced outages. These measures, combined with transparent interim reporting and the client-initiated ground validation at the end, translated speed into credibility rather than risk.
From Data to Decisions (What the Team Could Do Next)
The value of a survey is measured by the decisions it enables. With a clean terrain model, designers quickly resolved grading to suit tracker requirements, drainage to move water where it should go, and array layout to fit real-world constraints instead of assumptions. Because the coverage extended beyond the fence line, hydrology models referenced actual catchments rather than idealized plots, and route planners evaluated access and transmission corridors with clearer visibility on slopes, crossings, and constructability. The result would be fewer design loops and fewer late-stage changes—the most expensive kind because the foundational data didn’t shift under the team’s feet. Procurement will also benefit: quantities tied to a reliable surface are easier to price, and EPC partners can mobilize with fewer unknowns. The common thread is simple: when the base map is right the first time, everyone moves faster and argues less.
Above all, ABSD measured success in decisions enabled, not in file counts delivered. The dataset eliminated guesswork by providing QC’d DTM/DSM, contours, and ortho-photo that reflected real catchments outside the fence line, not just micro-grades within it. The same surfaces supported array layout and trench design with fewer unknowns, while early mapping of transmission corridors and access compressed route selection and constructability reviews. Because the surfaces and contours were accurate the first time, the EPC team will face fewer rework cycles and fewer late-stage design changes—the least visible, most expensive cost in megaproject delivery.
Why This Project Stands Out
ABSD has supported many large renewable programs, but this one carried unusual weight for the client’s portfolio, making schedule certainty and decision clarity paramount. What distinguishes our work is not a single gadget or one-off trick; it is repeatable discipline. We scope broadly to avoid second mobilizations, we capture once at the right altitude and coverage, we validate openly so trust is earned, and we equip client teams so they can use the data without waiting on us. Whether a site is hundreds or thousands of hectares, that combination of breadth, transparency, and enablement is what we mean by Going Above & Beyond.
Project Overview
Purpose and scale: Aerial LiDAR topographic survey supporting a 3,500 MW solar project over ≥ 7,932.7 hectares.
Delivery window: More or less 30 calendar days from notice to proceed, with acquisition completed in a couple of flight days.
Output focus: Design-ready surfaces (DTM/DSM), contours, orthophoto, and documentation structured for immediate use by design teams.
Pre-survey planning and coordination: Reconnaissance, safety and access review, and coordination with relevant stakeholders and agencies to ensure a smooth acquisition window.
Aerial LiDAR acquisition: A high-overlap flight plan using a manned aircraft with survey-grade LiDAR, paired with simultaneous imagery for orthophoto generation to give clear visual context.
Processing and deliverables: Point-cloud classification (ground, vegetation, structures, water), production of DTM/DSM, contours, and orthophoto, plus clear documentation and a guided walkthrough so the client’s team can independently explore, clip, and export the data they need.
Developer Impact (Schedule, Cost, and Bankability)
Having design-ready, validated topographic data in roughly a month can reasonably change a project’s trajectory. With a reliable surface to work from, engineering teams can typically finalize grading and drainage earlier, which can bring downstream steps like procurement planning and site mobilization forward. Because the mapping captured the broader context in a single mobilization, there is usually no need to remobilize later when hydrology or access questions extend outside the fence line. In our experience on comparable projects, fewer design changes and clearer quantities often translate into smoother coordination and more confidence among project partners. Put simply, accurate topographic data delivered quickly can help a project start building sooner, lower the risk of rework, and create a more confident environment for stakeholders while acknowledging that specific outcomes depend on each owner’s processes, contractors, and financing arrangements.
The impact for the developer was straightforward and measurable. The corridor mapping will enable earlier route selection and constructability assessments, while the broader catchment coverage eliminated the need for a second mobilization when hydrology reviews extended beyond the fence line. Because the data were both comprehensive and tightly controlled, the project will advance with lower rework risk, fewer change orders, and clearer lender conversations about schedule and budget certainty.
National Impact
Finishing the survey in just 30 days means this solar project can move from planning to building much sooner, and that brings real, everyday benefits. The faster it gets built, the faster it can start sending a huge amount of clean electricity to the grid enough to power millions of homes over a year so families and businesses feel fewer brownouts and enjoy more stable bills. Because solar doesn’t rely on imported fuel, it cushions us from sudden price spikes, especially during hot months when demand shoots up. It also means cleaner air: every kilowatt-hour from the sun is one less from coal or oil, which is better for our lungs, our kids, and the communities living near power plants. The project itself creates jobs and activity on the ground engineers and surveyors, builders and drivers, local suppliers and services putting money into nearby towns while the site takes shape. Just as important, a solid, accurate survey at the start reduces costly mistakes later, so crews spend their time building, not fixing. In short, this more or less 30-day survey helps the country flip the switch to clean power faster bringing steadier electricity, healthier air, local jobs, and real momentum for more renewable projects to follow.
ABSD will continue to apply the same Above & Beyond standard tight control, rigorous QA/QC, and client enablement to other large renewable programs across the Philippines. The core lesson is repeatable: scope the watershed, not just the fence; use a platform and sensor that can actually finish the site in days, not weeks; document accuracy so trust is verifiable; and equip the client’s team to work independently on Day 1.
If you need survey-grade data that compresses schedules without cutting corners whether for solar, wind, transmission, ports, or hydropower, ABSD is ready to design a workflow that is fast, defensible, and Above & Beyond.
Get in touch with us at info@absurveyingph.net or visit www.absurveyingph.net to connect with #TheLidarGuys and explore tailored geospatial solutions that go above and beyond.
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